The paleo diet takes a completely different approach to the modern day diet. As a matter of fact, it completely limits the modern day diet, basing diet wisdom on the foods that were available to the cavemen. The name “Paleo” comes from Paleolithic, referring to the period of time in man’s history when cavemen were just learning to use tools and food was simple and unprocessed.
The Paleo diet takes from the diets of our ancient ancestors: eggs, fruits, meats, seafoods and vegetables. These foods were readily available and plentiful in this period of time, with no pesticides or chemical processing to steal the nutrients and life from the food.
This diet has grown in popularity due to the benefits that cavemen reaped from it, such as staying agile, muscular, versatile and athletic, even in old age.
The Do’s and Don’t’s of the Paleo Diet
Do eat as much fresh, organic or naturally grown food as possible. Cavemen didn’t have a way to preserve food so they ate as they could, right from the land, the nest or the ocean.
These foods are allowed on the Paleo diet. It is a good idea to pay close attention to where you get your foods from to make sure they are as healthy as possible.
Meats are allowed:
- pork
- veal
- poultry
- buffalo
- bison
- reindeer
- turtle
- wild boar
- kangaroo
- goose
- emu
- rabbit
There is some good news for bacon lovers; it is allowed in this diet.
Fish is allowed:
- salmon
- tuna
- sardines
- tilapia
- trout
- shark
- red snapper
- halibut
Seafood is allowed:
- crab
- clams
- shrimp
- oysters
- scallops
- lobster
- scallops
Vegetables are allowed:
- asparagus
- avocado
- celery
- spinach
- carrots
- brussel sprouts
- green onions
- peppers
- parsley
- cauliflower
Oils and Fats that are allowed:
- olive oil
- macadamia oil
- butter from grass-fed sources
- coconut oil
- avocado oil
Nuts are allowed:
- sunflower seeds
- walnuts
- almonds
- pecans
- cashews
- hazelnuts
- pine nuts
- pumpkin seeds
- macadamia nuts
Fruits are allowed:
- mango
- lychee
- grapes
- blueberries
- papaya
- apple
- blackberries
- peaches
- plums
- avocado
- raspberries
- cantaloupes
- figs
- oranges
- bananas
- watermelon
- strawberries
- lime
This is not a complete list but it is enough to get the idea. These foods are listed and allowed on the Paleo diet without restriction as long as they are not processed and full of preservatives or additives.
These foods are not allowed on this diet, for obvious reasons. They are high in preservatives, additives, sugars and man-made chemicals.
Dairy isn’t allowed:
- ice cream
- frozen yogurt
- pudding
- butter
- whole milk
- non-fat dairy creamer
- cream cheese
Carbonated drinks aren’t allowed:
- Mountain Dew
- Pepsi
- Coke
- Sprite
Processed fruit juices aren’t allowed:
- mango
- apple
- grape
- chinola
- strawberry
- starfruit
Grains aren’t allowed:
- Triscuits
- Cream of Wheat
- oatmeal
- crackers
- bread
- pasta
- fettuchini
- beer
- wheat
- lasagne
Legumes aren’t allowed:
- lima beans
- fava beans
- horse beans
- mung beans
- pinto beans
- red beans
- green beans
- navy beans
- adzuki beans
- broad beans
- black beans
- white beans
Peas aren’t allowed:
- lentils
- soybeans
- tofu
- lupins
- peanut butter
- miso
- black-eyed peas
- snowpeas
- chickpeas
- sugar snap peas
